Video Daily Digest: Classic Griselbrand

It's no secret that I like combo decks. And, like every other Magic player, I'm drawn to value like moths to a flame. So, how could I possible resist a deck that packs three combos in one, all of which overlap in deliciously elegant ways?

Answer: I couldn't. In fact, when I played against the deck's creator in the finals of the Modern Classic last weekend, I flat out told him that this would be today's Daily Digest deck.

He was kind enough to make my job for the week easier and draw quite poorly in our two-game match as Thalia, Guardian of Thraben punished missed land drops.

But make no mistake, Tom Medvec was crushing people all day, taking the top seed after the swiss of a Classic that was larger than a lot of Opens I've played. I'm sure many of his opponents had no idea just what the deck is capable of, and I can't blame them. There's so much going on here that even with the list in front of me it took awhile to see all the intricacies baked into a tight, sixty-card package.

But the real outlier here is As Foretold. The card is clearly powerful, but it hasn't broken out in Modern yet. We see the typical combo with Ancestral Vision, a powerful card in its own right for a combo deck in a world of Thoughtseizes, but the combo with Living End is even more powerful. You get some much needed removal, but also another path to cheat a Griselbrand onto the battlefield; only this time it stays around.

With so many combo pieces you don't have much room for interaction, but Izzet Charm and Lightning Axe are quality removal spells that double as enablers for Goryo's Vengeance and in the former's case, some card selection. The sideboard has plenty of interaction to come in for whichever combo is weakest in a given matchup.

There's so much going on here I could write ten thousand words about the list, different interactions, and potential card choices, but I'll summarize it all in four words:

About Ross Merriam

Ross has been playing competitive Magic for over ten years and has been a fixture on the SCG Tour® since 2012. With a highly analytical approach, he stresses playing fundamentally sound Magic with a preference toward proactive strategies. Always ready and willing to teach, his quest to achieve competitive success will help guide your own path to improvement.